Mott the Hoople

live in Philadelphia (2019)

John Gentile

I don't mind admitting that I had to wipe a tear from my eye upon hearing Ian Hunter whisper, “a looong, long time ago…” It was the first thing that he said to the Keswick Theatre’s packed house on April 8, 2019. Of course, the phrase is lifted from Don McLean’s “American Pie.” Yet, just as Mott the Hoople twisted it into their own way back in 1974, here, some 45 years later Hunter whispered that iconic line at volume one before the whole band, including Mott o.g.s Ariel Bender and Morgan Fisher, suddenly ramped up to volume 10 and blasted into a loud, bombastic, riveting version of “The Golden Age of Rock and Roll.” Fitting that just as that song saluted the ‘50s rockers during Mott’s original run, now the glam rock champions were using it to call back to themselves. And throughout the extended, one hour forty five minute show, they proved over and over that, were in a golden age NOW because Mott the Hoople are still playing, and playing really, really, really well.

Hunter who is just about to hit the big 8-0, was a supernatural force. That is, he still has his curly blonde afro. He still rocks the Roy Orbison shades. He’s still skinny as a rail and he still has that amazing swashbuckler dress style. But, even more important than that, he might be almost 80, but he moves with the force and grace of a man 1/3 his age. And, even more important than that, astoundingly, he still sounds fantastic and his vocals today have all the wonderful richness, depth, unpredictability and combustibility that they did back in ’74. The man is a freak of nature.

The set pulled heavy from Mott the Hoople’s final album, and masterpiece, The Hoople with classics “Alice” and “Roll away the Stone” being given fantastic treatments. “Stone,” especially, with its multi-art construction found the band really building from a drip to a flood as Hunter howled out “Roll awaaay the Stone!” Near the end of the show, the band pulled out one of their final singles “Saturday Gigs,” and just as that track has a warm melancholy that builds into a uplifting joy, Hunter, Bender, Fisher, and company were astoundingly able to not only replicate those mixed emotions in the live atmosphere, but to amplify them in a fiery conclusion. That is, this wasn’t a “greatest hits” run through. This was a band generating that same deep, indescribable cosmic feeling that they first summoned in the early 70s, nearly half a decade later.

For their part, Bender and Fisher really did add to the magic. For one thing, it seemed like everyone really was having a ball, with Fisher cracking jokes to Hunter off mic between songs and everyone basically clowning around all stage. Mott is famous for its keyboard lines which often added a sort of full steam Fats Domino bounce or a weighty majesty. Fisher flipped between both throughout the night giving the tracks that much more import. Ariel Bender, who played lead guitar on The Hoople demonstrated time and time again that while true style can be copied, it can never be duplicated. That is, there’s a certain fire and reverent for the past in glam rock, and especially Mott tracks, and Bender, who was brought up on blues and R&B, showed the packed house how the architects of this style do it.

The show concluded with TWO encores including a massive 11 song medley that included “Crash Street Kids” and “A whole lotta shakin.’” The final song was the band’s biggest single, “All the Young Dudes,” which of course was penned by David Bowie. And just as that song reveled in a sweet soaring backed against crackling guitar distortion, the band underscored just how vibrant they still are. Really. For real. So few bands are able to summon that same electricity that set your mind on fire when you first heard it on the stereo at 16. Hunter, Fisher, Bender, and the whole lot are international treasures. But, unlike most treasures that just sit there while you look at them, Mott the Hoople, be it ’74 or ’19, cranks out rock and roll that is golden in any age. Get off your rump and go see this band. This is what rock and roll is all about.